


Team Mom

by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead



Series: Ankle-Biters [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-05-26 10:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6235492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead/pseuds/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The new Seijou first years are scared. Kyoutani is scary, but Yahaba is scarier, so they turn to Kyoutani to protect them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Team Mom

**Author's Note:**

  * For [A_Sirens_Lullaby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Sirens_Lullaby/gifts).



There were four new first years, and Yahaba wasn't sure what to do with them at first, because they're nervous and they kept glancing at Kyoutani like they thought he was going to just snap and beat them up or something. Even after three days of practice, they were still skittish around the team's new ace, and finally, after the tallest one, Aokishi, who was actually taller than Kyoutani, flinched away from him one too many times, Yahaba decided enough was enough.

"He's not going to bite or anything," Yahaba sighed.

"Yeah, Yahaba's the one you should really be afraid of," Watari joked, overhearing. Yahaba frowned at his friend, and Watari just grinned. Aokishi glanced at Kyoutani, who was glaring at Yahaba and Watari, and edged away from the third years. The smallest first year, Takehiko, waved Aokishi over to where he and one of the other new kids, Katsuo, were practicing receives with Kindaichi and Kunimi. The fourth one, Kita, was doing his best to not look like he was nervous around the third years and failing.

"Don't scare them," Yahaba admonished. Watari just grinned unrepentantly, and Yahaba shook his head. "Kyoutani, let's work on our combo, okay?" The two moved to another section of the gym, and Watari slung an arm around Kita's shoulders, pulling the first-year down a little to whisper to him.

"Have you noticed that Kyoutani really only listens to the captain?" the libero murmured. Kita blinked, then nodded thoughtfully. "Have you ever wondered why?" Watari asked. Kita shook his head. Watari grinned. "Let's go practice receiving with Kindaichi, and I bet if you and the others do well, he'll tell you." Kita's eyes widened, and when Watari released him, the first-year glanced curiously toward where Yahaba was setting for Kyoutani - the ace leaped, spiked the ball, and it his the ground loudly enough to make Aokishi and the others on the other side of the gym jump - then hurried to join the spiking practice. Yahaba congratulated Kyoutani, then shot a questioning look at Watari, who met his gaze as innocently as possible.

Really, Watari reasoned as he followed Kita toward the others, he wasn't doing anything wrong. After all, he just wanted to make sure his best friend was respected as the team's captain. Not that Yahaba couldn't manage to gain respect on his own. But it was a good friend thing to do to encourage the first years to respect him just a little more, right? And it would make them stop being so nervous around Kyoutani. Maybe.

After practice, the four first years clustered around Kindaichi as he waited outside the locker room for Kunimi to finish changing.

"Kindaichi-senpai," Kita began. "Watari-senpai said you might tell us why Kyoutani-senpai only listens to the captain." Kindaichi blinked down at Kita, who really wasn't that much shorter than Kindaichi, then shrugged.

"I don't see why not. It's not like it's a secret," he said. "Yahaba and Kyoutani are dating, so of course Kyoutani listens to him." All four first years stared at him, then turned in unison toward the locker room, where the third years and Kunimi were still changing.

"They're dating?" Katsuo repeated. "But...Kyoutani-senpai is so angry."

"Is that really all of it?" Takehiko asked.

"What's all of what?" Kunimi asked, walking out of the locker room with Watari in tow.

"The reason the captain is the only on Kyoutani-senpai listens to," Aokishi explained. "Kindaichi-senpai said it's because they're dating."

"Well, that's true," Kunimi agreed.

"But that's only part of it," Watari added. "Kindaichi, you didn't tell them about the tournament?" Kindaichi frowned.

"What about - oh, no. Of course not," he replied. Watari shook his head in mock dismay.

"How could you not tell them the best part?" the libero complained. Kindaichi shot him a sour look, but Watari kept talking. "In the last tournament, Kyoutani wasn't really being a good team player, and the only one of the third years then that he listened to was our vice captain, Iwaizumi. Honestly, the rest of us were scared of Kyoutani then, but Yahaba wasn't. So when Kyoutani got pulled out, Yahaba lectured him until he calmed down."

"You mean he slammed him into the wall and yelled at him," Kunimi muttered. If the first years had been suprised to learn Kyoutani and Yahaba were dating, they were downright astonished and borderline appalled to learn that Yahaba had manhandled the angry wing spiker.

"And Yahaba-senpai _survived_?" Aokishi whispered, awestruck.

"He wasn't afraid of Kyoutani-senpai?" Takehiko asked.

"Nope," Watari answered. "And after we lost in that tournament, those two got together, and then Yahaba became captain."

"What are you all talking about?" Yahaba asked, walking out of the locker room, a slightly red-faced Kyoutani in tow. The first years looked from Yahaba to Kyoutani and back again with an odd mixture of fear and awe. "Watari, what did you tell them?"

"Just how adorable you two are," Watari replied lightly. Kyoutani scowled. The first years glanced at Yahaba. Yahaba narrowed his eyes. Kindaichi and Kunimi abruptly adjusted their bags, then strode off, away from the locker room. The first years took several steps back. The movement drew Yahaba's attention, and his expression shifted to a smile.

"You guys should get home. It's getting late," he told them. The first years exchanged nervous glances, then walked away, glancing over their shoulders every few steps at the third years.

For the next week, things kind of stayed like that: the first years were nervously in awe of Yahaba, and still a little skittish around Kyoutani, but not as much as they had been. Yahaba, thinking they were just getting used to the grumpy looking wing spiker, started to relax.

Then two of the first years got into a fight before practice.

Afterwards, Katsuo and Takehiko couldn't even remember why their shouted argrument - what had it even been about, anyway? - had turned into shoving each other and then into Katsuo throwing a punch at Takehiko's face, but neither of them would ever forget the way the fight had ended. Right before Takehiko's fist hit Katsuo's jaw, someone had grabbed Takehiko's wrist and yanked him away from Katsuo. They both froze, half expecting a teacher or a coach to have arrived to break up the fight, but instead, Yahaba stood there, Takehiko's wrist still gripped in one hand.

"Captain?" Katsuo gasped. "What are you-"

"The question is, what are you doing?" Yahaba replied. His voice was calm, but the way his gaze pinned them in place left no doubt: he was furious. Katsuo gulped and took a step back, but Yahaba's other hand shot out to grip his shoulder, keeping him from running away. "Why were you two fighting?"

"I don't remember," Takehiko whimpered. Yahaba eyed him, unimpressed, then turned to Katsuo.

"Neither do I," Katsuo admitted faintly.

"Well, it was important enough for you two to fight before practice. So I have a special exercise for you two to do today while you try to remember what was so important," Yahaba decided. Both first years gulped.

"What do you mean?" Takehiko asked.

"We're volleyball players, not wrestlers or boxers or delinquents. So you two are going to do flying laps around the court until I say you can stop," Yahaba told them. They paled. Yahaba's expression remained calm as he released his hold on Takehiko's wrist, only to put his hand on the first year's shoulder and turn both of them toward the locker room. "Better get into your practice clothes so you can get started." And then he proceeded to march them to the locker room, where the rest of the team was already in the process of changing. And the two first years spent the first half of practice doing flying falls around the gym. The coaches gave them odd looks, but Yahaba explained that he really thought they needed the practice, especially since none of the new first years wanted to be a libero, and Watari was a third year, so everyone really needed to work on their flying receives. Kita and Aokishi happened to overhear that part, and immediately scurried off to practice spiking and normal receiving with Kyoutani and Watari, who were on the other side of the gym, a safe distance from Yahaba.

As the second half of practice began, Kyoutani nudged Yahaba's shoulder with his own to get his attention.

"Whatever those two did, they're gonna be too sore from all those flying falls to practice tomorrow if you don't let them stop soon," Kyoutani grumbled when Yahaba looked at him curiously. Yahaba turned to survey the two first years in question. They were still doing their flying laps around the gym, which was rather impressive, actually.

"Maybe you're right. Takehiko! Katsuo! Why don't you come practice spiking with Kyoutani and I now?" he called. The two froze in place, Takehiko in the middle of standing and Katsuo about to dive forward once again. Slowly, they made their way over to the two third years.

"What did they even do?" Kyoutani asked as the first years approached.

"They were trying to fight earlier," Yahaba answered. "Not that Takehiko was going to hurt anyone but himself with the punch he was trying to throw, but still."

"You've been punishing the first years for half of practice because they were getting violent with each other?" Kyoutani shook his head. "Hypocrite." The first years, who had just gotten close enough to hear their conversation, only heard Kyoutani calling Yahaba a hypocrite. They froze once more, wondering how their fearsome captain would react.

"Careful, or you'll be doing flying laps, too," Yahaba teased, not noticing the first years' proximity.

"Yeah, right," Kyoutani said, shaking his head. When the four of them got into position for some spiking practice, Takehiko and Katsuo did their best to make sure Kyoutani was between them and Yahaba as much as possible, because obviously Kyoutani was the one who wasn't scared of Yahaba, not the other way around, and the first years were increasingly convinced they should be afraid of the captain.

The next day just confirmed that yes, Yahaba was the one to be afraid of. Another team had come to their gym for a practice match, and Aokishi, the most skittish of the first years, ended up cornered by a couple of their opponents who wanted to know what the team was like without their previous third years before the match started.

"We heard that guy with the blond hair gets really out of control and ruins game plans. Is he an idiot or just stubborn?" one of them asked. Aokishi wondered what he did to deserve this.

"Neither. I'm just too damn aggressive to cooperate," Kyoutani growled. Aokishi looked up and found Kyoutani glaring at the other team's players who had him cornered. "Now you're going to let the first year go, or I'm going to make sure every single one of you is too injured to play." Maybe it was Kyoutani's reputation, or the angry aura he was giving off, but the opponents took a step back. Aokishi darted away from them and didn't stop moving until he was safely on the other side of Kyoutani.

"I heard that you got lectured and pushed around by one of your teammates last year. You can't be that tough," one of them snapped. Aokishi wondered if Kyoutani was going to make good on his threat and just plow into them and beat them up.

"Or maybe that means Shigeru is stronger than you think," Kyoutani replied. That made a few of them take another step back.

"I hope you aren't getting into any fights," Yahaba announced, appearing from out of nowhere and scaring Aokishi half to death. "Aokishi, go warm up with the others, okay?" Aokishi nodded and bolted toward the safety of the rest of the team. When he reached his fellow first years and looked back the way he had come, he saw Yahaba and Kyoutani calmly walking toward the rest of the team, apparently chatting like nothing had happened, and the intimidating opponents were nowhere in sight.

Later, during the game, every time one of the opponents made a snide comment about how Seijou wasn't as great this year, or asked how they were keeping their resident delinquent in line, one of the players from before would hurriedly shush them, glancing nervously at Yahaba the whole time.

Aokishi reached the conclusion that while Kyoutani had made them nervous, whatever Yahaba had said or done after Aokishi left had absolutely terrified the other team. He also decided to share this revelation with his fellow first years.

Over the next several weeks, a surprising behavior pattern became common with the first years. If one or more of them messed up, whether it was dropping the ball, being late to practice, or even the one time Kita served a ball into the back of Yahaba's head, all four of them somehow managed to position themselves so Kyoutani was between them and the captain's wrath. Not that Yahaba ever really yelled at them or anything. But somehow, his calm disapproval scared them more than being yelled at.

The four of them also started sticking close to Kyoutani when Yahaba wasn't angry. They asked him to help them with spiking, serving, even receiving, and when Kyoutani tried to redirect them to people he was sure would be better at helping them, like Watari for the receiving or Kindaichi for the spiking, their disappointment was so clear that Kyoutani started just agreeing to help them because they always looked so nervous asking and then they looked almost crushed if he said no. Before long, the four of them were following Kyoutani around for most of practice. They also started looking to Kyoutani for approval for the littlest things, or maybe they were looking to see if he had noticed they were doing well. And even when Kyoutani was grumpy or snapped at them, they just seemed sad, not afraid.

"I understand the hiding from Yahaba thing, I really do," Kyoutani complained after the first years had left one day. Yahaba shot him a glare, and Watari snickered. "What I don't understand is why they hide behind me. I mean, Watari is short, but the whole point of liberos is defense, right? And Kindaichi might not be too tough, but he's taller than I am."

"I think it's adorable," Yahaba informed him. "They're like little ducklings, following you around and trying to impress you and get your attention."

"But why aren't they afraid of me?" Kyoutani asked, glaring at Yahaba.

"Because they think Yahaba is scarier," Watari explained, as though this should have been obvious. Yahaba and Kyoutani both frowned at him.

"How is Yahaba scarier than me? He's never snapped at them or anything," Kyoutani pointed out. "I mean, yeah, he can be intimidating, but..."

"Do you really think the first years are that scared of me?" Yahaba asked, frowning.

"You're the captain. You're supposed to be intimidating," Watari replied. "Don't worry, Kindaichi and Kunimi are still more afraid of Kyoutani than they are of you."

"That's not really helpful," Yahaba sighed. Then he grinned. "On a completely unrelated note, Oikawa and the others are going to be visiting tomorrow during practice."

"That'll be interesting," Watari commented. "I wonder what Oikawa and the others will think of the first years."

What Oikawa and the others thought, as it turned out, was that the first years following Kyoutani around was fantastic. Oikawa didn't stop laughing for the first ten minutes after he noticed Kyoutani walking across the gym to start a spiking drill with the first years actually lined up behind him, following him dutifully.

"I knew he could do it," Iwaizumi commented, seeming more proud of Kyoutani than amused.

"Do what? Collect ducklings?" Oikawa snickered. "Our little Mad Dog has grown up and gotten himself a litter of puppies!"

"Wait. Does that make Kyoutani the new team mom?" asked Matsukawa.

"I think so. Does that mean Yahaba is the team dad?" Hanamaki added, grinning.

"Absolutely. Just look at how the new kids hide behind their mom because their dad might get mad," Oikawa practically cooed, pointing. Across the gym, Takehiko had just accidentally hit Kunimi in head with a volleyball, and all four first years had immediately shifted so Kyoutani was between them and Yahaba, who sighed and turned his attention to Kunimi to see if the second year was all right.

"So precious," Hanamaki sighed.

**Author's Note:**

> You can all thank A_Sirens_Lullaby for this, because we were talking about Seijou and Karasuno first years being terrified. Then this happened. So yeah.  
> Also the first years' names are names that were suggested for another thing I was working on but never got used.


End file.
